Automatic gun trap



July 8, 1941. R BARNES 2,248,157

AUTOMATIC GUN TRAP Filed July 17, 1939 INVENTOR.

MA 4. w BY ATTORNEY.

Patented July 8, 1941 EJNHTED STATES PATENT OFFIQE AUTOMATIC GUN TRAP Raymond E. Barnes, Aurora, Ill.

Application July 1'7, 1939, Serial No. 284,948

2 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic gun traps for killing moles as they burrow along under the surface of the ground, and the present invention is a modification or improvement upon the similar invention described in my patent numbered 2,142,774, dated January 3, 1939.

One object of this invention is to simplify the embodiment as shown in the said patent, so as to reduce the cost thereof.

Another object is to provide a mole trap including a ground plate with means for anchoring same horizontally above a mole burrow, and having a cartridgetube mounted centrally therethrough, a pair of angular trigger arms including lengths disposed laterally of the ground plate at opposite sides thereof,lengths extended convergently inward and lengths extended outward in parallel relation, the latter lengths being pivotally connected to the plate, and means actuated by the movement of the trigger arms for firing a cartridge in the cartridge tube.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing constituting a part of the specification, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the trap as D- eratively set in the ground.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a partial bottom plan view.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the firing arm assembly and mounting.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the cartridge tube assembly.

The invention comprises an oblong ground plate I having a flat perpendicularly extended ground or anchoring prong 2 at one end, this prong being welded or riveted to the under side of the plate and turned flatly with the end thereof. Another combination ground and pivot prong 2a. is rigidly mounted at the opposite end of the plate, the plane thereof being turned at right angles to the plane of the fiat pin 2. For the mounting of the prong 2a, a squared recess la is formed in the end by cutting free a tongue lb, the latter being bent perpendicularly downward, and to which the prong 2a is welded or riveted. The lower extension of this prong 2a thus forms a ground prong complemental to the prong 2. while the upper end or extension provides a pivot post 20 for supporting the firing arm of the assembly, as will be later described. Thus the plate I may be horizontally mounted a-straddle the mole burrow 3, the fiat abutment against the ground of, the prongs 22a in two directions serving to effectually lock the plate against displacement when they are pressed into the ground.

Through the center of: the plate I is rigidly and perpendicularly mounted a cartridge tube 4, adapted to receive in firing position a small caliber cartridge 5, with the cap end thereof turned upwardly as shown in Figure 5, so that when fired the pellet will pass directly through the center of the burrow and any mole located at that point.

The upper end of tube 4 is threaded as shown to engage a cap-like, interiorly'threaded breech block 6 having a small bore 9 extended down through the block in operative alignment with the cartridge tube. A firing pin I0 is slidably seated through the bore 9 with its lower end adapted to strike the cap of the cartridge 5 when the pin is struck and thereby forcibly depressed for that purpose. The pin I0 is spring-set as shown at H in Figure 5 so as to stand normally elevated and clear of the cartridge.

An elongated firing arm or hammer I6 is provided, the same being constructed of a strip of fiat metal having a portion [6d twisted intermediate its ends ninety degrees at a point spaced from its outer end about one-third of its length, and at this point pivotably connected to thepost 20 by means of a, pin or rivet ll, whereby the arm I6 is pivotally or rotatably mounted in place and so that the longer reach [61) will extend out over and be adapted to contact the upper end of the firing pin l0 when the arm is turned or rotated to a position approximately parallel with the plate I, while the outer and shorter reach Ific of this arm will extend outwardly over the adjacent end of the plate I, whereby the firing arm it may be turned up to an approximate vertical position, as shown in Figure 1, its operative 01' set position for firing. A coil spring I8 is seated over the pin ll between the arm l6 and the outer flanged end of the .pin, the ends of the spring being secured to the arm and pin in such manner that with the spring wound or tensioned its normal reactive torque will operate to throw the longer reach I61) of the firing arm forcibly over into. contact with thehead of the firing pin l0, when the firing arm is first set then released for that purpose.

A pair of fiat, twin trigger arms l9l 9a are extended parallelly along laterally of the ground plate I, the same converging at one end as shown at I91), and being then extended again parallelly with the stems or lengths l9-l9a as shown at I80. The portions I9c are pivotally pinned at 20 to the opposite sides of the ground prong in a downwardly spaced relation to the plate I. The outer ends of the arms l9-l9a are notched in transverse alignment at their upper margins as shown at 23-230 as means for engaging and mutually retaining in a set position the firing arm I6 when the shorter reach thereof We is turned downwardly for that purpose.

The arrangement and construction is such that when the said short reach IE is turned downwardly, to the plate I as for setting the trap gun, then the trigger arms I9I 9a will lie evenly and horizontally along the surface of the ground across the burrow 3.

A tab 26 is cut away from the plate I on three sides, and is struck down from the plate between the cartridge tube 4 and the post 20, thus providing an opening 25 through the plate, the tab itself being connected to the under side of the plate by its uncut margin.

A fiat safety arm Tia-2th has its lower blade 21a turned ninety degrees relative to the upper blade 21b and being passed down through the aperture 25 is pivotally pinned at 28 to the tab 26. A coil spring 29 is mounted over this pin and is secured at its ends to the pin 28 and the blade 21b, and is tensioned so as to normally urge the blades perpendicularly to the plate I, the elements being arranged so that the edge of the upper blade 2lb will then strike the end margin of the aperture 25, and the blades be thus resiliently supported in the said perpendicular relation. In this perpendicular position the blade 27b stands directly interposed between the firing arm I 6 and the cartridge tube 4, and so as .to intercept the same and prevent this arm accidentally firing the cartridge. However, owing to the relative length of the aperture 25 towards its opposite end, the blade 211) may be turned aside, against the action of the spring 29, so as to clear the way for the arm I6, in the setting of the trap. The lower blade 21a is thin and resilient and is also curved outwardly somewhat as shown.

in the operation and use of this trap-gun, the ground plate I is located transversely of the burrow 3, in the manner already indicated, the trigger arms I9-I9a being laid horizontally across the burrow and pressed somewhat down thereinto. The firing arm I6 is then turned up perpendicularly and the flat extremity of the short arm IE0 is placed in the notches 2323a, where they are releasably held under the action of the spring i8. As the plate I is located and pressed to the ground, the curved lower blade 21a of the safety arm slides and bends outwardly and forces the upper blade 2112 over to the opposite end of the aperture 25 and out of the way of the firing arm I6. With a cartridge in the tube 4 and the breech block 6 screwed down thereover, the device is in operative position. When the mole attempts to push through his burrow under the trap, the top of the burrow is raised thus operating or raising first the trigger arm at the side of his approach as for example the arm I9, and depressing the outer notched end thereof, thus freeing the extremity of the lower reach I60 of the firing arm from the notch, as for example the notch 23 at that side. However since the other arm I9a remains unmoved, its notch 23a still holds the firing arm in its set position, and which position is held until the mole passes on under that arm also and raises it, thus freeing the firing arm entirely and allowing the arm I6b to strike down upon the pin I0 and fire the cartridge 5. The latter passes down through the burrow and kills the mole which is then in direct alignment with the tube 4.

It is thought the construction and use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing explanation.

While I have here set forth a particular embodiment of the invention, it is understood that same may be changed in minor details not departing from the essence of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A mole trap comprising a flat ground plate, ground prongs at the ends of the plate the prong at one end being extended up above the plate to form a firing arm pivot post, a cartridge tube seated centrally through the ground plate the tube being threaded exteriorly at its upper end, a caplike, interiorly threaded breech block adapted to screw onto the tube and having a firing pin bore formed through its closed upper end, a spring-set firing pin seated in the bore of the breech block, a pair of trigger arms extended horizontally, laterally of the ground plate, each of the same being inturned at one end and thereby being independently pivoted to the ground pin having the upwardly extended end as a pivot post, the extremities of the inturned ends being extended parallelly and notched on their upper margins, and a spring-set firing arm pivoted medially to the pivot post at the end of the plate, one end thereof being adapted on release to strike the firing pin of the breech of the cartridge tube, and the other end, when turned down,'to releasably engage the notches in the ends of the trigger arms for holding the trap in set position.

2. In a device of the kind described and embodying an oblong ground plate and means at the ends thereof for 'removably anchoring same to the ground, and embodying a cartridge holding and firing unit mounted through the plate with a spring-set firing arm operatively and medially pivoted thereabove, said arm having an end extended over one end of the plate, a pair of trigger arms extended horizontally, laterally of the ground plate, each of the same being inturned at one end and thereby 'pivotally connected to the anchoring means at the end of the ground plate below the extended end of the firing arm, the outer extremities of the inturned ends being extended parallelly beyond the end of the ground plate below the extended end of the firing arm and being notched on their upper margins in transverse alignment, for releasably engaging the said extended end of-the pivoted firing arm when said end is turned down for that purpose.

RAYMOND E. BARNES. 

